Bonding rail joint



April 14, 1925. 1,533,916

' |..K. JOHNSON BONDING RAIL JOINT Fl' May 25. 1924 m m w W//VESSES all I NVENTUR Arron/ms Patented Apr. Vill, 19.25..

. UNITED STAT-es VIlan K. JOHNSON, or weer cALnWnLL, New JERSEY.

:Bonnrne .earn JOINT.

Applicatonledklvay 235 192.4. Serial No. 715,328.

T0 all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that l, IRA K. .-loii'rrrson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVest Caldwell, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, have invented a new and Improved Bonding Rail Joint, of which the following is -a full, clear, and exact descriptio Q This invention has relation to rail joints and has particular reference to a fish "plate construction which in addition to performing its ordinary function serves to electrically connect the rails to each other.

At the present time, the fish plates which connect the rails together do not effectually. establish electrical communication therebetween, thatV is, the communication established thereby is not sufficiently reliable to operate signals and there-fore the rails are electrically connected by bonding devices such as wires or by gas welding the rail ends together.

It is, therefore, the outstanding object of the present invention to so construct the fish plates for joining the rail ends together as to provide means for establishing` electrical communication without the necessity of using bonding devices or welding the rails.

The invention further comprehends a bonding rail connecting device which compensates for relative movement between the rail sections due to contraction and expansion.

The invention furthermore provides a bonding rail connecting means which serves as a detecting means in event of a loose or broken joint. Y

As a. further object theinvention contemplates a rail connecting and bonding device which is extremely simple in its construction, which does not materially increase the cost of production of the fish plates, and which serves as aneffective and positive means for establishing electrical communication between the rails for conveying or conducting current from one to the other. FlVith the above recited and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the `right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated here- Vin to the full extent indicated by the general terms in whichthe claims.

n iean i n g o t the are expressed.

ln the draw1ngs Figure l is al side lview ofthe n'ieeting ends of ya pair otra-ils connected by a rail joining means constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view therethrough taken approximately on the line indicated at in Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 0

i Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom view of a fishV plate constructed in accordance withy the invention.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 10 and 11 designate the meeting ends of a pair of rails and 12 the fish plates which are employed for connecting the rails together by meansof the transverse bolts 13.y In order to establish a positive electrical communication betwen the rails, the fish plates in the present instance are serrated or otherwise provided with teeth lll at the pointl of engagement of the fish plate with the `rail flange and at the point of engagement of the fish plate with the under side of the rail head. In order to insure the proper biting engagement of the teeth 141-. with the rail ends, and to compensate for relative movement of the rails due to contraction and expansion each engaging portion of the fish plate with each rail is formed with a. plurality of sets of teeth indicated by the brackets A and Bin which the points or leading edges l5 project in opposite longitudinal directions. Under this construction and arrangement it is evident that irrespective of the relative movement of the. rail ends toward or away from each other, a biting action will be set up between the points or leading edges 15 of the teethV 14 andthe portion of the rail with which they engage to positivelfy7 bond the rails to insure electrical communication therebetween; It will be further observed that in event of the breakage or loosening of the fish Vplates 12, where the rails are carrying current lfor the operation of the signals, such a break or loosening will be improvement in rail bonding means lhas been provided and while thefinve'ntion has been illustrated in its preferred e1nbodi ment, it is, of course, understood that variations which fall within thescope of the ap pended claims may be resorted to when found expedient.

I claim:

l.l A rail joint comprising lishl pla-tes, op-

positely disposed longitudinal sets of pro-A jecting teeth formed on said lish plates at i the point of contact ot the same with each rail whereby irrespective of the relative movement of the connected raill sections, said teeth set upa biting` action to insure bondingof the rails and the establishment of electrical communication therebetween.

2. A rail joint comprisingl sh plates, opH positely disposed longitudinal sets or' pro jecting` teeth carried by said fish plates at the point of contact of the saine with each rail whereby irrespective of the relative movement of the connected rail sections, said teeth set upa biting action to insure bonding` of the rails andthe establishment oit electrical communication therebetween.

In devices for connecting` railway rails, means carried by ysaid devices Jfor bonding said connected rails wherebyv to establish electrical communication therebetween, said means comprising elements formed with sets of oppositely projecting teeth at each point of contact withthe rails whereby irrespective of the relative movement of the connected rail sections by contraction and expansion, the said teeth set up a biting action to insure a bonding` of the rails and the establishment of electrical communication therebetween. i

IRA K. JGHNSON. 

